The Football Federation of Indonesia (PSSI) has submitted Indonesia’s representatives for the 2022 AFC Cup. Both Bali United and PSM Makassar, champions of the 2019 Liga 1 Indonesia and 2018/19 Piala Indonesia respectively, will represent Indonesia in Asia’s second-tier club competition next year – in a repeat of the 2020 AFC Cup where the duo flew the Indonesian flag prior to the competition’s abandonment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both Bali United and PSM have received confirmation regarding their participation in the 2022 AFC Cup through a letter from the PSSI on December 27th, prior to the two clubs announcing it officially on Thursday.
As Liga 1 champions, Bali United will advance straight into the group stages, with the first games in the ASEAN Zone set to be played out on June 24th, 2022 at centralized venues. There, the Serdadu Tridatu will be joining the likes of Kaya FC-Iloilo (Philippines), Kedah Darul Aman and Kuala Lumpur City (Malaysia), and Singaporean duo Tampines Rovers and Hougang United.
PSM, on the other hand, must navigate their way through the qualifying play-off which will be played on May 17th, 2022. The Juku Eja will face-off against either Laos’ Young Elephants, Myanmar’s Hantharwady United, or Cambodia’s Visakha FC for one of two spots on offer in the group stages.
Both Bali United and PSM were selected by the PSSI based on not only their achievements on the last Indonesian football season that was properly finished but also their AFC Club Licenses. The two clubs had received their AFC licenses unconditionally in October.